By: Lovins Yakubu, February 06, 2024

The Plateau State government has hauled construction work going on at Terminus area in city centre of Jos.

The decision of Plateau state Government to haul the construction work followed the collapsed in some parts of the storey building which occurred on Sunday 4th February, 2024.

Consequently, Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), a parastatals of Plateau State ministry of Urban Development have sealed a three storey building shopping malls that is under going construction at Terminus, former Mr Biggs, Jos.

The shopping malls that had about 180 shops was under construction since the previous administration of Simon Lalong.

Addressing newsmen Monday after touring the building , General Manager (GM) JMDB, Arch. Hart Bonkat revealed the structure did not meet the required standard right from onset as the owner defied all stop-work ordered given to them.

"Unfortunately today I would say we have been vindicated because we have been to this side over five times.

"We have issued stop work orders, we had even issued demolition notice for work to stop but the owners are persistent and refused to stop.

"We have told the quality of the job been done here cannot be ascertain and we cannot approved of it.

"And it is important to put to note that this whole structure that your seen here has no approval. We have tried as much as possible to stop them doing the work but they keep on, and in fact we put in one of the building that we are going to demolish and so were going to do what we say we did, and this is going to be testament for the readiness of the JMDB which is now a unique organization to make quacks do not take over side and produced whatever they want to produce.

"We had some flenzy drawings that they submitted in the office, which raised eyebrows because the project of this magnitude we know the quantity and quality they supposed to have come with it. But unfortunately it has less than 20 pages including structural design building and on paper it show they are planning to have about 20 shops per each floor. But I can assured you after counting is about 180 shops.

Sealed property

The GM confirmed not even knowing the name of the owner of the building. He however said that the files shows one 'Metal Nigeria' supposed to be the owner adding that they have some representative they sent who claimed to be the architect, "but we were yet to verify because from our records, the person is not registered, does not qualified to be on this site in the first place.

"For the records, we have not met any engineer or architectural designer to be able to tell us those who are doing this project. Then we have also raised those observation severally by asking who is the engineer on site but were unable to source them", the GM narrated.

Commissioner, Ministry of Urban development Plateau State, Hon. Joshua Laven assured the law will take its course immediately to ensure the right thing is done as the present administration of Caleb Mutfwang would not tolerate attitude of unhealthy practice where certain persons who lack requisite qualification to practice would venture into construction business to continue gambling with People's life.

"The building would not stand the test of time as it contravened the law of the land because they were served notices not one not twice.

"The building would endanger the lives of thousands Nigerians who would come and do their business activities. This quackery wound continue under this administration.", Hon. Ubandoma said.

However, some of the experts and stakeholders in building and construction industry who were at the scene of the incident such as;Oke Ezema, chairman Building collapse prevention of the Nigerian Institution and purchase, Engr. Yakubu Ashoms, Chairman Nigerian society of engineers as well as Builder Olukayode Adedeji adjudged that findings revealed right foundation to a stage where the structure currently is, there was no approval and proper coordination.

Cross section of alleged low standard ongoing construction of a storey building situated at former Mr. Biggs Eatery at Terminus Jos

Tyosar Terver Zonal Coordinator North Central, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, admitted that as a research institute, their duty was to collect samples of soils and other materials in the building whenever incident of collapsed occur to run a lab test and from there to come out with findings.
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